K-7 update: Next traffic redirection set for Friday

The next traffic redirection at the intersection of Kansas Highway 7 and 55th Street/Johnson Drive will start Friday after the morning rush hour.

According to a Kansas Department of Transportation announcement:

Crews will shift northbound traffic from the existing lanes to the newly constructed exit ramp lanes just east of the under-construction K-7 bridges. Northbound will continue to be restricted to one lane of traffic. Also, traffic access for Johnson Drive to northbound K-7 and northbound K-7 to Johnson Drive will open that same day. All traffic changes should be in place by late Friday evening. Southbound K-7 traffic will reopen to two lanes of traffic late the week of Dec. 6.

Johnson Drive access to and from southbound K-7 will continue to remain closed for construction work on the east side of the interchange project. During the Johnson Drive closure, drivers will continue to detour via 47th Street to Silverheel Street to Woodsonia Drive (blue detour route) or use the Silverheel Street spur via Clear Creek Parkway south of the interchange project as an additional detour route (purple detour route). Johnson Drive access to and from southbound K-7 is scheduled to reopen to all traffic in mid-2011.

In addition, access to 55th Street from northbound K-7 and vice versa will be closed. During the 55th Street closure, northbound K-7 traffic will continue to detour via 47th Street to Old K-7 Highway (red detour route) or via Clear Creek Parkway to Hedge Lane Terrace (green detour route). Updated traffic information for this project can be viewed online.

The $21.4 million interchange project is scheduled to be completed in fall of 2011.